Toyota Wants To Take Its New Super-Luxury Century Brand Global

Toyota already has Lexus for people who want something fancier than a RAV4 or a Camry, but apparently even that isn't luxurious enough. The Japanese giant is now looking to take its Century brand global, positioning it above Lexus as the pinnacle of its sprawling lineup. And yes, we're talking about the same Century traditionally associated with Japan's political and business elite.

For decades, the Century was essentially Japan's answer to a chauffeur-driven limousine. Introduced in 1967, it was built in small numbers and sold mainly in its home market. Toyota began expanding the nameplate in 2023 when it introduced an SUV, and the company subsequently turned Century into a standalone brand sitting above Lexus. Now, Toyota is showing signs that it wants to take the ultra-luxury marque beyond Japan.

Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda recently arrived in Detroit in a Century SUV, even though the model isn't officially sold in the United States. Asked by Bloomberg about the decision, Chief Technology Officer Hiroki Nakajima described Century as a global model and said Toyota wants feedback from people in the automotive industry. That's about as close as you can get to saying, "We're thinking about selling this thing here," without actually putting a price tag on it.

Century Is No Longer A Japan-Only Affair

There's already some international presence. The V6-powered Century SUV is sold in China and shipped in small volumes to other countries in Asia and the Middle East, while Toyota is studying additional markets. The V8 sedan remains much more closely tied to Japan, where the Century has long been the ultimate executive car.

Toyota is clearly aiming much higher than the traditional Lexus customer. Century now occupies the exclusive ultra-luxury space, freeing Lexus to focus on the broader luxury market. Toyota itself has described Century as sitting at the very pinnacle of its portfolio, while Lexus says the new hierarchy gives it more freedom to develop its own identity.

Toyota appears to be serious about turning Century into more than a two-model curiosity. The automaker unveiled a rather striking Century high-riding coupe concept last year, giving us a glimpse at what a more flamboyant member of the family could look like. The concept was a pretty big departure from the traditional chauffeur-oriented sedan, but it showed that Toyota doesn't necessarily want Century to remain trapped in its own history.

The Ultra-Luxury Segment Is Already Crowded

That could put Century in some very interesting company. BMW has Rolls-Royce, Volkswagen has Bentley, and Mercedes has Maybach. Toyota now wants to play in that same neighborhood, albeit with a very different philosophy. Century's appeal is rooted in Japanese craftsmanship and restraint, though the coupe concept takes a decidedly flashier approach.

There's also a particularly interesting twist: Toyota is trying to go global with a brand that has historically been almost entirely domestic. Members of Japan's Imperial family, prime ministers, and high-ranking executives have used Century, giving it an image that's hard to manufacture overnight. Expanding overseas means Toyota will have to convince wealthy buyers who have probably never heard of the name that Century belongs in the same conversation as Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

Century Has Historically Been Japan's Ultimate Luxury Car

Still, Toyota isn't exactly starting from scratch. The Century has been around for nearly 60 years and has spent decades building a reputation as Japan's ultimate luxury car. The company is now simply giving that old-school nameplate a much bigger stage. Whether the rest of the world is ready for a brand positioned above Lexus remains to be seen, but Toyota taking Century out of the shadows is fascinating in itself.

Toyota (sorry, Century) has been tight-lipped about what powers the coupe but has said that not all future models will be electric. Whether rumors about the V12's return will pan out remains to be seen. Yes, return, because the second-generation Century sedan was the one and only Toyota to have a dozen cylinders under the hood.

As with seemingly every exciting project at Toyota, including GR becoming a performance sub-brand, this one bears Akio Toyoda's fingerprints. He proposed spinning off the Century into its own brand, positioning it in "a class of its own" after being displeased to see the Century sedan and SUV at the Toyota booth during the 2023 Japan Mobility Show.